Iran Delays Khamenei's Burial Four Months to Affirm Leadership Continuity

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's funeral began July 4, 2026, over four months after his February 28 death—far longer than Islamic tradition typically allows. The six-day ceremony across Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad represents Iran's calculated use of succession as a show of state stability and domestic control amid economic and diplomatic pressures.